Nick "The Man" Swisher

The signing of Mark Teixeira by the Yankees had created a situation in which there was an “odd man out,” well perhaps two (with Melky). Nick Swisher and Xavier Nady were the two that many knew would be fighting for a job, and ultimately Nady won. From the start, I viewed this as a mistake. Nick Swisher was and is the superior player. He brings much more to the table than Nady does. After getting off to a torrid start, Swisher finally seems to have made his point. He has come out of the gate hitting nearly .500 with 4 HR, 11 RBI, and 10 runs. Xavier Nady was injured in last night’s game and appears to be headed for the disabled list, perhaps for the season, opening a world of opportunity for Swisher.

You’ve got to love the guy, he’s very energetic and plays hard every second he’s out on the field. I haven’t been this impressed with an incoming player since, well, never. The White Sox may be kicking themselves right now and for the rest of the season, as their return centerpiece was Wilson Betemit, want to bet who has the better year? Now many people probably want to know what exactly is so special about Nick Swisher, and the reasoning for his supposed superiority over Nady. Firstly, Swish has a great eye at the plate, which leads to many walks, he’s reached the 100 BB plateau or come close in three of the four full seasons he’s played. No matter where you put a guy in the lineup, walks usually mean runs, and he will most likely be batting ahead of the run producing Matsui and Posada. In that case Nady, who walks only about 30-40% as much, will not score as many runs making him the worse choice. Another aspect of Swisher’s game that is far superior to Nady’s is his power. Swisher hit 35 HR’s when he was with Oakland in 2006, and that’s some big time power. He hasn’t hit that many since, but you’ve got to think the potential is lurking within. The protection and depth of the Bombers lineup could help this power resurface as he may see better pitches. Nady has the ability to hit between 15 and 20 homers, topping out at 25. Still excellent, but I’d rather have a guy that can start at 25 rather than end there. In addition to his other skills, he is also a switch hitter, which makes him a weapon of sorts. This ability to hit from both sides could allow the Yankees four potential switch hitters in the lineup at once, imagine that. A lineup with that much flexibility and depth could reek havoc on any pitching staff, even the Red Sox so called “best staff in baseball.” The final and perhaps most likeable skill of Swisher is his attitude. He is little strange and crazy, but his deviant style and leadership skills are probably advantageous to the team. He likes to go out there and play baseball the way it’s supposed to be played, for fun and sport, not for business. Some players can learn something from him, even Posada, who was not amused by Swisher’s relief appearance. From what I can tell so far, Nick Swisher is a guy that will give anything for his team, he’s gonna give you 150% everyday (the extra 50% comes from Redbull), he plays how every fan wants a player to play, and he has fun doing it.

Swisher is and will continue to be a huge addition to this team. Even as he cools from the scorching streak, which he surely will, Swisher will remain a threat. So far there are only positives from him, he’s done everything right. This is a guy who could help this team win a championship, not A-Rod, not Teixeira, not Sabathia, Nick Swisher! I’ve created some stat prediction formulas, and though I wouldn’t rely on it here are the numbers I came up with for a full season:

The Order (BA, OBP, SLG, H, HR, R, RBI, BB, SO, SB)
Swisher: .250, .366, .463, 133, 29, 95, 84, 94, 142, 3
Nady: .291, .345, .487, 145, 22, 65, 80, 32, 97, 4